The Joy Fighters
by The Not-so-present Something
Summary: After all of Elmore is subjected to the outbreak of the Joy Virus, it's up to Matt, Lewis, Sticky, Walter and Ronald to stop it, or get infected. Note: another story about my OCs.
1. Through The Ruins

**Greetings! My first fan fiction story (my very first written just this August), but second one to be posted here. I'm just publishing it as is, but I've also edited some parts since there were some typos and grammar mistakes.**

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It had been a day since the outbreak of the bizarre. The bizarre virus. The Joy.

No one in Elmore know how it was created, where it came from, when it was created, who created it, why it was created, _blah blah blah_-or what it really was (at least not anyone who was a particular blue furred individual, with a legged fish for a brother and best friend-and maybe even a middle-aged pink man-bunny).

But many know that it all started at the Elmore school. It was dismissal time, and it was normal for the school day's end to be cheerful. Indeed, it was cheerful. Except the children were unnaturally cheerful-freakishly happy, and hugged their parents into happy oblivion. Their parents reluctantly accepted their children's suspicious hugs, and soon they knew no better than to go on a hug rampage.

The infected were released from the school, and into all of Elmore. Like those cliche zombie horror movies, most of Elmore's citizens had quickly succumbed to the virus. Again, like those awesome yet too familiar apocalypse films, only a handful of survivors were spared, roaming around the (happy and colorful) ruins of the town. Some of those survivors were a group of friends, average people (and minor characters in the eyes of others). Unbeknown to them, their school day would turn into a survival, and then to a mission…to save the county from an (abnormal) eternal bliss.

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Elmore city, a day after the outbreak…

The buildings were trashed, the streets littered with car ruins, and litter. Pools of rainbow liquid were scattered around, casting a faint glow that radiated to the sky. It was a silent night, and even the moon felt the joy (but was too far away to be infected, lucky him). Not an uninfected mouse was stirring. Then suddenly amongst the wreckage, a flash that brought a gust blowing through the quiet of the town.

Five survivors were rushing through the ruins. A watermelon, a sentient doormat, a liger, a stickman, and a teapot were one of those groups of survivors in Elmore. Fortunately, they had barely escaped the Joy filled Elmore Junior High with Miss Simian's message, and tape (the music which they recorded/exported on their more modern music players).

"Move it!" Walter the watermelon hissed at his companions, "And be careful with the music player. It's our only chance."

Matt the red doormat, one of his companions nodded as they crept amongst the darkness, hiding from the huggers. He was carrying a sentient teapot who was also an accompanying survivor. "I've got a bad filling about this." Ronald the limbless teapot said to himself as tea swished from inside him. "Oh man, I wet myself. Careful Matt. Try not to swing me too much. While you're at it, don't drop me again."

The doormat smiled guiltily as he remembered the last time he had dropped the teapot. They had been in the school, hiding from the infected when Ronald slipped from his grip. Fortunately, Ronald landed on something soft. Unfortunately, it was a hugger. This got them running for their sanity. "Of course Ron. We're a "Tea'm" you know?" He chuckled as they rushed under the bright moonlight, then cleared his throat without much sound.

"Too tired to laugh huh?" He muttered, "or did anyone get the joke at all?"

They made it across about five streets, when suddenly Lewis pointed to a large building, one that would be familiar to every citizen of the area (except for Idaho, and his family).

"Aha! To the supermarket"

They dashed to the supermarket, hopping over pools of multicolored liquids, scattered thingamajigs, food, and money. Matt bent over the pools, and as he rushed with his friends to the mart, swiftly collect the scattered bills and change. He thought it was a bad timing for money, but collected it anyway. If things got out of hand (that is, if the joy virus spread to the outskirts of Elmore, and possibily infected the world) maybe the money would be of some use. Or maybe not since economies would fail, or-whatever. He shrugged these thoughts off.

The five arrived at the supermarket, safe and sound. Sticky (being a 2-dimensional being) and Matt (a thin doormat) slipped through the slightly ajar cracked glass doors. Walter took Ronald, and pried open the doors with his bulk. Following Walter's trail was Lewis. Lewis crept after Walter, but was unfortunately squished by the still operational (but damaged) automatic sliding door. He grunted softly as he pried open the glass door, and entered.

Inside the mart, it was less chaotic than the outside world. There was still pools of rainbows, and scattered goods and miscellaneous objects everywhere. The lights were out, and the interior was covered in total darkness. At least the total darkness told them it was safe. A light (let alone a multicolored light) could mean an infected person.

Lewis, Matt, Ronald, Walter, and Sticky felt their way through the blackness, and soon encountered the counter. Usually Larry was here, always smiling (somewhat plastically as was his job), always watching. Now, only his red hat remained at the countertop. The five entered inside the compartment of the counter. Walter rummaged in the drawers and cabinets around until he found a flashlight. Walter took the small yellow torch, and clicked it open.

"Okay."

He revealed a familiar camera. The same camera Miss Simian had used to record the Joy virus' progress.

"So according to this _Professor_ Simian-"

"She's not a professor." Butted in Lewis.

"Well, then _Doctor_-"

"She's not a doctor either."

"I was trying to be sarcastic." Scratching his head (or crown rather) he continued. "Whatever. According to this footage, the depressing music that we have in our music players can cure this bizarre joyfulness rampaging the county. All we have to do is keep sneaking until we reach the radio broadcasting station, go to the studio (or whatever it is called where they broadcast the music) and play this music. Then when all of Elmore hears the music, they'll be cured…or I hope. Once we're there, Lewis and I will go to the broadcasting station, while Matt-" He gestured towards the mentioned person, "you'll guard us, with Sticky. If we're lucky, we'll make it there without getting unnaturally joyful."

"How about me?" The white clay teapot clinked, "What do I do?"

Walter just looked down at the teapot. The teapot smiled in the darkness, his shiny body reflecting whatever moonlight fell on him. The watermelon could see his reflection on the teapot while he scratched his head as he thought of a duty to assign to Ronald. "Erm-you can carry this flashlight"

"But I don't have hands."

"No, you're going to have the flashlight inside you…how do I put this? We are gonna store the flashlight inside of you, and that way you'll be carrying it."

Disturbed slightly, Ronald opened his mouth to speak.

Only to be interrupted by sudden laughter. The laughter was soft, but echoed loudly enough to tell the five that whoever it was coming from was nearby. And infected. Sticky flattened himself into the floor in fear. "What obscurity was that!?"

"Okay, calm down." Lewis said, "Lets not get too scared or anxious. One of us should check it out-"

"Ow you stepped on MY FACE-"

"Sh!"

As Walter poked out to search for any movement in the dark, and possibly the source of the laughter, Lewis gingerly raised his foot. Underneath was a smudged face of two-dimensional quality. It was his stickman friend.

"Sorry dude, lets just try to stay calm. If we get scared or mad, you could attract them. It's sort of like negative attracts positive…you get the idea"

"I don't think it works like that." Sticky retorted, while fixing his flat paper-like face with a pencil.

"Just try it."

All of them (aside from Walter) nodded meekly. They all began to think happy and calming thoughts.

"Think…happy! Think…soothing thoughts."

As they began to brood happy thoughts, Lewis turned to Walter who was still peeking out. The watermelon was so still that in the dark, it looked like he was part of the counter.

"Walter, anything there?"

Walter did not respond. Lewis waited a minute, then asked again. "Walter?"

Silence. The others took note of this. Sticky grew so frightened he tried hiding inside Ronald only to douse himself in cold tea. Matt flattened himself on the floor this time. Lewis raised a finger, and poked the watermelon gingerly. Suddenly, he found himself being wrestled by the watermelon.

"Ow!" Once the watermelon realized he was wrestling his friend, he let go. "What was that about?" He asked while rubbing his tough beautiful watermelon skin gingerly. Matt rolled up, Ronald relaxed and steamed cooly (for him, steaming was like exhaling heavily), and Sticky sighed in relief.

"Just checking. You weren't moving anymore."

"Thank goodness you did that." Walter said, "I got attracted by that TV."

Matt and Sticky widened their eyes. "Attacked?"

"_Attracted_. By a TV over there. I mean those commercials are too ridiculous to be ignored sometimes." Where Walter pointed, they could see a faint glimmering light. It flickered randomly, and random noises could be heard coming from the same direction. They could just make out a Baby Anais commercial in a small flatscreen TV somewhere off the distance, lying in the dark.

"Its just a kid's girly commercial. Must've been left on in the outbreak. Other from that, aisle is clear"

The five shrugged, and cautiously snuck out of the counter, keeping their heads low, and themselves cool and calm. In the nearest aisle, they avoided a large puddle of colored fluid. The aisle was trashed, with many more various objects scattered. Above, they saw the hanging signage telling them that they were in the technology department. Scanning the aisles with the flashlight, they saw the shelves lined with earphones, CDs, gadget skins and covers, tablets, wires, and USB wires. There were more products on the shelves that they could not make out with the dwindling torch light. Walter tapped the torch, and at once it stopped dwindling.

"Didn't know they sold these here." Sticky remarked, "I thought this was just a food mart"

They all couldn't care less anyway. Walter inspected a pack of batteries nearby. "Alright, there must be something useful here."

Looking around, they found themselves in a section full of speakers, phones, and other high-tech looking gadgets.

"These speakers are gonna be useful." The liger said, taking a small pair.

"Yeah, and I'll just take this TV, and this…for some of my experiments." Sticky grinned, carried away.

Matt beamed back at him. "Game Station IV? Don't mind if I do."

As Lewis grabbed another pair of small speakers and compared them with the other speakers, Sticky and Matt nonchalantly swapped phones, consoles and all the devices you could think of that could fit in four pockets, and a teapot.

"Good thing I got no Klep-tea-mania like my older granddad from my kettle's side." Ronald remarked.

As the two continued to browse and casually stock their 2-D, or furry mat-pockets with corporate goodies, Walter stocked up on two more packs of spare batteries. He then noticed his two companions getting carried away with the gadgets, and snapped at them in the middle of their tracks.

"What? Don't you guys know any better than to steal and burden us? We got barely any bags to carry those, so we'll only be bringing necessities."

The two realized what they were doing. Mumbling their apologies, they hurriedly dumped the excess loot they stocked up on back to their places. Matt also dumped all the cash he had found on their way to the mart. It surely was so tempting to just take everything that one saw in the technology department with no guards. When Sticky and Matt were done, the watermelon turned to the others who were just browsing around.

"Done? Now lets go"

"Hold on dude." His liger friend said. "First, lets get geared!"

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**Once again, advice and reviews would be appreciated. I'll be updating this story soon, a moth larvae spins a cocoon.**


	2. Escape From The Infected Mart

Motioning to the next isle, Lewis introduced the five to a "childhoodly" sight, something both casual painters, and those who loved things that shoot things would have liked or loved. The next aisle's shelves were filled with toy guns and bows and plastic arrows. But beside the plastic dart shooters were glorious paintball guns in ten different colors. Unfortunately as they searched, there were no pellet or airsoft guns.

Regardless, Sticky gaped at this sight. "When did they start selling these here?"

"Cool. I mean to say its cold, really. The tea inside me is so cool that I'm starting to feel cold you know." To prove his point, Ronald shivered until he spilled more of his tea.

"Well, let the big hot guns warm you up!"

"Yeah, but no hands remember?"

Walter crossed his thin black arms, and stared at Lewis questioningly. "Really? What are you gonna do with these things weapons? You'll still be huggable."

"Could be useful. Besides, we could dress up, feel cool and look awesome while shooting some guys!"

"Like in the movies?" Walter considered this. "Yeah, that does sound cool…" *whispering* "but cruel for whoever comes in our way."

As he said this, Matt, Ronald, and Sticky started helping themselves to the "weaponry" and gear.

"I call dibs on the heavy paintball machine guns!" Matt announced, although quietly in case a hugger were nearby.

The teapot hopped towards the larger weapons. "Mine's on the bazooka!"

"Err I'll get anything, I guess." Sticky said timidly.

Matt took a red paintball gun, and inspected it. Satisfied with it, he loaded it up and pointed it at random directions (much to the fright of Sticky). Then he took another similar but smaller paint gun for a backup. The doormat took off his colored band, and replaced it with an olive-colored band. Slightly adjusting it (since he almost folded himself with it) he then tied it up. He grabbed some boxes of small paint canisters, and paint balls which he fashioned into a Rambo-style bandolier. Then as a final touch, he fastened a belt with small ammo packs, and (toy) food rations.

Ronald arrived at where the larger arms were, and tried to grab the bazooka. The bazooka fell down, and almost squished him. Alarmed by the loud thud of the paint bazooka, Walter turned to Ronald. "Sh!"

Sighing, Ronald just straps on a small helmet, and a pair of orange goggles. Matt sneaked by, and grabbed the bazooka instead.

"Chk-chk bang! Lock and loaded. Ronald, you can hold the ammo."

He dumped paintballs of all sizes into Ronald. Then Matt took up some cans of spray paint, and some heavy paint canisters only to squish himself with their sheer weight.

While Ronald and Matt where gearing up, Sticky was looking around uncertainly. Being more of a thinker than a fighter, Sticky didn't usually wield weaponry or equipment. Despite this, this didn't mean he hated wielding equipment. Sticky grabbed a box of paint bombs, and exclaimed. "These are the explosives!"

He smiled, hoping someone would catch his joke. No one did, except for Walter. "Sure they are." The watermelon whispered. "Honestly I think you should leave all the jokes to someone else since you, and I are both bad at it."

Sticky nodded embarrassedly, and took his mind of his failed joke by emptying the grenades into a small brown satchel which his 2-D frame could barely support (he carried it anyway). He grabbed a beige paintball gun, and took a pair of black and orange goggles, and a brown beanie. Then he awkwardly tried to do a pose (which made him lose his balance, and fall down).

In another area, Lewis took a pair of beige paintball guns. He loaded them up, and took another pair of goggles, identical to what Ronald and Sticky were wearing. He marked his face with black paint, then wrapped a bandolier around his chest. But he decided that the bandolier was too heavy (and noisy) for him to carry around. Instead, he donned a black jacket, and took some grenades and spare paintballs.

Walter put on protective skating gear (including a small helmet that fit right for his head), and took two green loaded paintball guns, one he would be using as a sidearm. He grabbed buckets of various paint, and poured it on himself making him rainbow colored. "Readyeaea-ow AH-" He suffered quietly as the paint stung his yes. "It BURNS."

The others stared in wonder. Matt asked. "Is that your style?"

Walter eventually recovered. "No, its camouflage. I thought if you looked like one of them, then you might have more chances of not being noticed."

"Dude, that wont work." Lewis commented. "Heard of the Wilsons? Tobias? Ring a bell?"

His watermelon friend nodded. Lewis continued. "Well I saw Tobias infected yesterday, and just a while ago I saw his parents dribbling rainbows."

"Oh." The watermelon hastily shrugged the paint off, then grabbed Matt's back and wiped himself. Matt didn't mind this (though he'd probably troll anyone who did this with him who wasn't one of his friends).

"Could've told me that sooner." Walter said as he finished. "Lets go!"

Lewis scooped up Ronald with one hand. The five with their weapons loaded, and ready snuck through the dark corridors.

"It's like those zombie movies. Except with more rainbows and happiness." Lewis thought to himself.

Walter, followed by everyone else with their guns pointed at the ready poked his head out from behind a shelf.

"See anything or anyone?"

"Nope Lewis, it is very empty"

The five quickly emerged out from behind the aisle shelf, and raced through the rows of other aisles. They dodged the numerous abandoned shopping carts, some still filled with goodies. As Matt did a quick cartwheel (or at least what was a version of it for a doormat flipping over its side), Walter in the front of the group halted them from moving forward. Matt fell down flat without much sound, aside from a faint clinking from the bandolier that was draped over his body. More laughter could be heard from the distance.

"Stick together team." Sticky commanded, albeit almost whimpering.

Suddenly a flash, and next thing they knew was a blue blurry (yet shining) object bowling down the aisle, barely missing Sticky. Sticky was about to faint of shock. Walter recognized that the object was a can of soda. For some reason, it seemed to be sentient (like the can from "The World"). Its face was dripping the multicolored liquid.

"What the-?"

What followed next surprised them: more sentient cans of crushed soda, food packs, and even damaged grocery carts with faces dripping of joyful rainbows emerged from the darkness, and rushed into the five. Sticky gasped. "That doesn't look good! Even the mart itself is infected!"

This wouldn't have made sense to Sticky, the smartest of the group. But he knew that in Elmore, even the "inanimate" were alive. This was pretty plain to him, seeing that two of his best friends were a teapot and a doormat.

"Obviously we can't stay here then." Matt readied his paintball gun. "Quick, to the back door!"

The five ran throughout the seemingly endless rows of aisles. As they ran, food and other objects zipped, and whizzed across them like Indiana Jones avoiding poison darts, and arrows in the temple of doom. Behind them, a rampage of fruit zombies and shopping carts chased them. Walter started shooting at his cousins, his paintballs being mildly effective at knocking them down. "I'm sorry my cousins."

"Maybe you could play some depressing music right now?" Ronald suggested, remembering what Miss Simian had said about Beethoven's music being the cure.

Walter huffed with approval. "Good thinking!"

The watermelon reached for his music player. He grabbed it, and took it out of one of his pockets (which he somehow had on him). As he powered it on, a box of infected Daisy Flakes whizzed at the player with ferocious speed, completely disintegrating it, and stunning the watermelon's thin hand.

AH!"

Simultaneously, a pack of infected french fries whizzed at Ronald, and bumped into him, knocking his cap open, and sending many paintballs flying. The french fries stuck to him, dribbling rainbow liquid on him. Disgusted by this, he vigorously shook them off. Lewis blocked the additional incoming frnech fries with his other free hand. The paintballs that Ronald were spilling also coincidentally helped by soaring in the directions of the flying assorted animated objects, effectively splattering them out of their wits.

"AHHHH! My cap! It's off and now my head's open! "

Matt couldn't spare this moment.

Matt: "Did you mean open minded?"

An infected drum set whizzed by, drumming to the joke. Sticky watched it pass by, and saw as it crashed near a doorway. "I think I can see the back door!"

The five ran to the direction the stickman had pointed at. They screeched to a halt at the door. Sticky tried it. It was locked. As larger infected objects came at them, Lewis took his paintball gun, and started firing at them. "Take this you colorful joyful sanguines! YEAAAAHHHH!"

The force of his paintballs smacked some of them down. Then suddenly, the aisle shelves themselves began to detach from the floor. They grew limbs, and started moving in their direction.

"Wha-! You've got to be joking." Lewis scowled.

"Good thing I got this bazooka!" Matt moved Lewis out of his way, and aimed his bazooka at the shelves only to be pinned down by the bazooka's weight. Walter quickly grabbed it, but having no shoulders, the bazooka just rolled, and fell past his arm.

"Hmmm." Matt said.

"Oh come on!" Grabbing the bazooka, and arming it with the only ammunition that could fit in it (which turned out to be a canister of whipped cream), Lewis took aim, and fired. The whipped cream detonated at the first shelf, but the others were untouched.

"I need more whipped cream!"

Grabbing two more canisters of whipped cream nearby, Lewis kept firing at the infected sentient shelves. This time he brought down five of them, but they just kept coming. Then like multiple rocket launcher systems, objects from the aisles launched themselves at the five. Lewis, Matt, Sticky, Ronald, and Walter barely avoided being impacted as they shot down the objects with miraculous accuracy. Walter took some grenades, and threw them at aisle only for them to be taken out by flying objects mid-air. The shelves were closer, and Sticky desperately hurled some of his paint bombs at them.

"Is this the end already?"

Suddenly, the locked backdoor slid open, revealing a naked (or at least unarmed, or unequipped) Matt smiling. "Not today, my friend!"

Thinking he was another infected, Lewis turned and threw the bazooka at Matt. Matt luckily avoided it by inches. "AAH! What was that about? I slip under the door, risk being attacked by the joy from outside without a weapon, and unlock the door. Then you throw a bazooka at me?"

"Sorry, I was um…passing it to you for safekeeping." The liger smiled nervously as a shelf behind him exploded in a flurry of white paint.

As the shelves, and other infected objects approached nearer, the five raced outside quickly (but not before Matt quickly scooped up his gear, and weapons). They then closed the door and locked it, and placed a nearby garbage bin against the door. A second later, the door was indented by flying burgers, french fries, utensils and blocky projectiles. One could see the marks of their large shining eyes and unnaturally wide mouths.

"That was close." Walter led them away from the door.

"Yeah, and I just found out I forgot to load my paintball gun." Sighing, Sticky grabbed a couple from Ronald, who being almost devoid of content started fixing his cap, and goggles sluggishly.

Lewis stared nervously at the door. "We should probably go-like NOW." He said as a barrage of violent sounds became louder at the door, eventually striking the door itself. The five ran away from the supermarket just as the door ripped open. They crept into the barren streets, weapons trained on their sights.

"Over there! I think I can see the radio station's tower." Walter trained his google eyes at the mast of the station. While he checked it out, the rest caught their breath, Ronald wheezing the steam out while Matt dusts and rearms himself.

"I think I know which route to take, the side alleys over there." The watermelon pointed at a narrow space between two tall buildings. "Follow me-"

Suddenly without warning, Ronald hopped unto Sticky, knocking him down. As Lewis, Walter and Matt stared in horror, Ronald and Sticky coughed out, and oozed the dreaded familiar rainbow liquid. "Ow-AH-" *gurgle* "aha ha ha" *cough* "ha ha!"

"Well that escalated quickly." Matt remarked

"QUICKLY." Before the two infected former-comrades could hug them, Walter led his remaining companions to the alley, with Lewis firing his gun at them feverishly.

"Ah! Sorry, so sorry guys it's nothing personal just saving our skins!"

The three successfully made it into the alley, and swiftly climbed through a short wall.

"How the cheer did that happen? Ron must have been infected by the supermarket projectiles!" Lewis said, panting and tightening his grip on his weapon.

Walter could heard the two former-comrades approaching. "Give me a paint grenade, and some more paint!" He ordered.

Lewis handed him a large paint canister he had, and a paintball grenade. The watermelon took the pin off the grenade, strapped the grenade to the canister with a stray cloth, then threw it over the wall. Its thud was followed by a squishy explosion, followed by more squishy thuds as their unconscious infected friends fell down. A pair of goggles flew upwards, and fell in front of the trio.

Lewis sighed sadly. "They were good friends."

"And still will be. At least once we save the town."

Wasting no time for being emotional, Lewis, Matt, and Walter zipped through the narrow path. Arriving at the opening, Walter peeked out of the passageway. He saw the radio station in its full glory, but it might as well have been a fortress. Everywhere there was laughter, happy groaning and a virtual sea of rainbows. Crowds of joyful people could be seen around it. Lewis was creeped out as a happy Miss Simian gave many other infected citizens free hugs. Her smile looked like a sneer to them.

"Okay, what's the plan?" Matt asked, almost blinded by the shining rainbow liquid all around.

"Ummmm…" Walter thought.

Lewis wiped off some rainbow liquid that had dropped from above. "Well?"

"Simple: we have to fly to the radio station"

It took a while for the other two to process this simple plan. "Sounds effective and possible."

"Now all we need is either a helicopter, or a jet-"

The watermelon was cut off by an infected Marvin Finklehimer standing warily in their sights. H=Though he was wary, he was looking at them with bright shiny eyes, and a gaping wrinkled toothless smile. The three tried hard not to panic at the already super wrinkled red bean.

Matt whispered to his friends. "His appearance disturbs me more than the fact that he can infect us…oh wait. Now that I think about it, those two facts bother me."

"Well whatever you, just do stay calm, happy and think good thoughts." Walter said.

And so they tried.

Lewis started thinking about his good thoughts: his birthdays; his girlfriend; his awesome computer; the fact that he's still uninfected with two friends watching his back. "Yes" he thought, "Thats something that makes me comfortable, and a bit happy…"

Then his thoughts became gloomier as they wandered. He thought of his birthdays growing up. Now that he thought about it, he remembered that his last birthday was almost forgotten by his busy family. Then he remembered that he actually had no girlfriend, and just pretended that his crush was his girlfriend (since he never had any). His thoughts, now a literal raging thunderstorm went into the current situation. He wondered, will he still see his computer? His family? Will he survive? What if his friends are infected? What if he (Lewis) himself was infected? What if this was the end? What if he would never go places, get married, get a job, live to a ripe old age and-

Marvin's face grew even happier (if that was even possible), and then he started to creep slowly to Lewis, while chuckling, oozing a river of rainbow liquid.

Walter strained to smile. "Lewis, think happy thoughts"

"Yeah dude, I can hear your thoughts from over here and I can tell its like a signal #3 category typhoon in there!" Matt said, remembering the storms he experienced when he visited the other side of the globe.

"Ah, I…I…am"

"Happy, stay happy."

"HAPPYVENTILATING!" In panic, the liger grabbed his gun, and shot Marvin in the head. Marvin at first smiled blankly, then fell. In their eyes, he fell over in slow motion. As the three stared in horror, Marvin dropped down with a thud. The soft thud was enough to cause many places in the dark ruins of Elmore to lighten up with bright multicolored lights. Out of these spots, the light revealed themselves to be mouths, and bright shining eyes of more infected citizens. They crawled eerily out of their hiding places, all eyes trained on the three.

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**New chapter everyday (or within the week). Please review, and advice for how I write is always welcome. This Something signing away!**


	3. To The Station

**Heyas, it's Something back here. By the way thanks for the review (always grateful)! Had to heavily edit this part since it was riddled with typos, and I also modified it a bit.  
**

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Walter motioned for them to run (but not before sparing a moment to facepalm at Lewis). They ran out of the alleyway, taking the left path (and away from the station).

As they ran, the infected people made their way hurriedly to their previous spot, barely missing their scent. Alas, an infected exercise bacon pointed at their direction just as Lewis' tail disappears behind the alley's wall. At the sight of his tail, they ran after the three survivors.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it!" The liger said, panting between words.

"Oh come on!" Matt barely avoided tripping on a nondescript obstacle, "Lets take a way going around this block to the station!"

They eventually reached a corner, then turned another, and started running back to the station. But not before crawlers came out of the rainbow-inflicted corners, and reached out for them. A plaided old citizen, and orange woman reached for Lewis' legs. Lewis emptied his paintballs at the crawlers, and knocked many of them down. His paintball gun dry fired, and he threw it away. "I'm out of ammo!"

"Here! Take my gun." Matt tossed his weapon at Lewis. Luckily, Lewis catches it. "Lets take the back door to the studio!"

"Save your breath, and let us just keep run-" The watermelon was interrupted by his crushing impact into a hard concrete wall, barely missing the glass doors to the left side of him.

"Well, what'd you know. The entrance to the station!" Matt tapped the wall of the building.

"Finally! It's not the backdoor, but the main entrance'll have to do." Lewis said.

Walter popped out from the crater in the wall he had just created, and checked his gun. "Lets get in!"

Matt tried the building's glass door's long cylindrical metal knobs. They wouldn't budge. Lewis and Walter could now see the shining multicolored lights on the horizon. A large Joy-infected horde was approaching!"It's locked…Hmmm." Matt thought for a while.

Lewis and Walter readied their guns at the incoming horde. Lewis aimed his paintball gun at an infected skinny individual he recognized as Larry. "Matt, find a way to open the door! Matt?"

"Right here!"

Looking back, Lewis saw an unequipped Matt inside the broadcasting agency building. The doormat managed to slip inside once more.

"Okay good. Why are you naked?"

"Hey, the bandoliers were too thick to fit with me while slipping under the doors. Besides, I'm always naked"

Turning back, Lewis saw the wave of color-inflicted huggers come nearer. "AH! Look for a key, quick!"

"Here they come! Open-fire!" Walter readied his weapon, and let out a shot. His shot landed on Bobert harmlessly, and ineffectively.

As Walter and Lewis started lighting up the already enlightened huggers, Matt looked around the lobby desk, and drawers. He found a lone chocolate kiss on the lobby desk, a pair of keys, a keister, and a toy model of a mini castle-keep.

Lewis and Walter kept shooting at the large horde of huggers, with some success. Lewis' machine gun paintball ran out of ammo (and as if it couldn't get any worse, had jammed). He threw away his jammed paintball gun, and took his backup paintball pistol which he started shooting while feverishly reloading it between intervals.

Walter saw an elderly blue elephant approaching him at his side, and took him down with a quick salvo. "Where's the key Matt?! There must be some keys there!" The senior citizen, still conscious reached for Lewis' legs, only to pushed away back into the Joy horde.

Matt took the keister. "A keister?"

"NO! Not a keister, I said there must be some keys THERE!" Then Carmen launched herself at him. Barely avoiding her spines, Walter pushed her back into the horde.

Matt grabbed the kiss. "Right. Heh what'd you know, I found a kiss!"

Walter was now struggling to push away a smiling grey woman puppet. "Open the door! NOW!"

"Of course." He ate the kiss, then picked up the model keep (thinking the keys were hidden by it).

Walter looked at Matt through the doors. "NO! A key like a key KEY!"

"I know!" Matt then saw the pair of keys.

He successfully pushed away the middle-aged puppet, but was already backed up against the glass door. Lewis took aim at an approaching rainbow lady he recognized to be Tobias' mom, only for an infected pink feline to take him down. Walter pulled his liger friend from the arms of the feline just in time, and continued firing at the infected at close range.

Meanwhile, Matt dropped the keep, and grabbed the keys. He quickly tried to unlock the door. The first does not click, so he threw that away. Then finally, the second fitted into the lock. "Got it!"

Lewis and Walter exclaimed in joy-er relief. "Yay! Finally!"

Matt turned the key, but it snapped into two pieces. The snapping of the key crushed some of the hopes in Lewis and Walter so hard it could even be heard from inside the building.

Matt glared at the broken piece of key stuck in the door. "WHY…YOU…LITTLE-"

As if on cue, the door spoke up. "You know, you could just ask nicely and-"

But then it was interrupted by a flurry of wild kicks, and flaps from the angry doormat. Matt took a nearby fire extinguisher, and hurled it at the door. In horror, the door screamed and "fainted" as it was smashed mercilessly into powdered bits. Not sparing a second, Walter and Lewis rushed in, guns still blazing at the horde. The horde was just feet away from them, and the three had to actually resort to kicking, shoving, or pushing away the infected from themselves.

"What took you so long?" Walter asked as Sarah dripped over him. He pushed her into Banana Joe, and made a banana split (literally, making Banana Joe do a split).

"Well-" The doormat was interrupted by an infected oho. The infected 8-Bit spider stuck to his face, practically hugging it. "AHH! Get it off me! Gumballs I'm doomed!" He coughed, "Leave me. Lewis give me the rest of your paint and grenades!"

Lewis choked in dismay. "Matt! We can't afford to lose you!"

The liger tried shooting at the spider. Nothing came out of his empty paintball gun. The huggers were already approaching through the broken door, and were all zeroing in on them.

Lewis sighed. "Okay, I guess we have no choice. It was nice working with you my friend!"

Handing Matt his grenades, Walter dragged Lewis away from Matt (who was attracting the horde by trolling them) so he could buy them some time. Then the two ran up some stairs, towards the direction of the broadcasting station up the building.

"I was infected anyway." To prove this point, he coughed out rainbow liquid. "And I shall sacrifice myself for honor, and joy!" With Ocho still in his face, Matt courageously pulled out the pin of the paint grenade. "Wait no…for honor and glory! I hope you guys be happy…but not happy-happy-infected just plain normal hap-"

In the broadcasting floor, as Lewis and Walter ran across the corridor to the studio room, they heard a distant thud. Walter and Lewis took half a second to commemorate their loss.

"Rest in peace. The watermelon said."

Lewis remarked. "He was a good soldier."

They stopped by a door which was labelled "Studio." Inside, they found the room to be deserted and seemingly untouched. There were two compartments: the broadcasting compartment where the people would talk or sing; and the other was the desk and table were the studio directors and staff would sit, and stuff. The compartment was separated by a concrete wall with a large glass pane that enabled the other compartment to be seen. On the desk, there was still a mug of chocolate. It looked seemingly fresh. Walter cautiously closed the door. "Finally. We made it!"

"Yeah! High five."

As the two high-fived, they were cut short by a sound. The sound told them that it was another survivor ,and they would have been happy-if not for its tone.

"FREEZE!"

* * *

**Stay cool, and freeze because the next and final part will be upcoming.**


	4. It's Over

"Wha-?"

Behind the door, a Marshmallow Guard emerged, holding out a stick. He was dressed in a security uniform, all ruffled and dirtied with his fair marshmallow skin being ripped, or worn in some places. Like the Doughnut Sheriff, he had a badge on. He was missing his cap, and a boot though.

"If you hooligans move, I'll have no choice but to…do something unpleasant."

"Calm down sir, we're here to help." Lewis said to the confectionary.

"Help me? Or help convince me to help YOU? I'll have you know that I have been hiding here since those beasts nearly tore my friends up from their hugging! Every meal, all I eat are chocolate tablets, and all I have is hot chocolate for a drink!"

"Really?" Walter retorted, "That sounds nice actually-We've got no time! They could be upstairs right now!"

Lewis placed one of his ears on the door, and checked for any footsteps. "Or not, it is kinda silent-"

The Marshmallow Man raised an eyebrow. "Every man for himself little kiddies, I don't wan't any fugitives with a horde of huggers on their trail. Now get out, and go find your own shelter!"

"You don't understand!" Walter said, "We have the cure, and need to broadcast it to the whole city! If you just help us-"

"Hey, one more word and I'll do something not-so-good. Leave now, or face the actions of your consequences!"

Lewis sighed (he needed to stop doing that, the liger thought). "We aren't going anywhere." Lewis folded his arms while Walter just stood there, waiting for the not-so-sweet-and-soft Marshmallow Security Guard to speak up.

"Very well, you made me do this!"

The guard started to cock his stick, and make shooting sounds at the two. "I warned you! chk-chk bang! bang!"

Walter took cover, but realized and stopped. The liger and watermelon could only stare at the guard in silence.

"So you think you can dodge my bullets? Lets see you dodge my bazooka."

Lewis whispered to his watermelon friend. "I think this guy has lost it."

"What?"

"He's lost his sanity."

The two stared indifferently (both amused, then bemused) at the security guard still "shooting" at them. Lewis stomped over to the crazed guard. "We've wasted enough time already. Look sir, I'm so sorry I have to do this!"

Taking Walter's paintball gun, Lewis aimed and shot the Marshmallow Guard squarely in the head, the force at a close distance knocking him down. The paintball was the last, and so the liger threw the empty paintball gun away.

"…" Was all that came from the unconscious guard.

Lewis, and Walter dragged him against the door to barricade the entrance to the studio.

"Okay, now let's check this room out. We cannot turn on the lights because it'll attract joy and…okay. I've been to one of these rooms before, and-yeah okay cutting to the chase. So…audio systems?"

Lewis took out some small speakers (the same ones from the mart). Walter checked a microphone.

"Check! Broadcasting systems…"

Walter checked the on button. It wouldn't do anything.

"Not-checked. We'll need these if we want to play the song to the whole city-but lets fix that later. What's really important is that we have the music! So, music player?"

Lewis took out something from his pocket. He handed it over to Walter. Walter took the object. The object felt smooth, and had no buttons. It turned out to be a touch-pad phone.

"Lewis…please tell me you didn't accidentally somehow swap this touch-phone with your music player?"

"Oh…I guess I can't tell you…"

Inwardly, the liger groaned. He remembered lifting some gizmos he couldn't resist back at the Elmore mall. Now that he thought about it, he might have dropped the music player back there.

Walter sighed. "Well, the other one was knocked out at the mart. But good thing I got my own-"

He was cut-off by some noise. It was the snoring of the Marshmallow Man. Lewis turned to the guard, then back to his friend. "False alarm."

"Meh. So as I was saying, good thing I got my own music-"

Then suddenly, there was more noise. Then silence for a moment.

"False ala-"

First giggling, then chuckling, then laughing. The taps became steps, and the steps became a great rumbling. The horde of joyful zombie huggers were coming.

"Okay…definitely not a false alarm"

Without warning, the Marshmallow Security Guard suddenly awoke. "Ah! What a nightmare! Whu…?"

The floor abruptly flew open, sending the Marshmallow Guard flying into Lewis. Walter yelped in panic, and hurriedly attached some cables to the music system from his player. "Okay quick, now for the broadcast-WAIT! This isn't a player"

To his horror, he saw a Game Station Logo. "It's a portable Game Station…"

Again, Lewis facepalmed inwardly as he remembered lifting some gizmos back at the Elmore mall, and dropping them back. He snapped out of his thoughts, and in alarm shouted at Walter. "Watch out BEHIND YOU!"

Walter was hurriedly digging into his pockets. "Here's the player!"

By the time he victoriously shone the music player up into the air, an infected Richard slammed onto him. This was followed by swarms of huggers pinning him down without mercy.

"WALTER!"

In response (and as his last sane action) Walter threw the player up into the air, and out of the pile of rainbow huggers into the direction of Lewis. The liger caught it like an otter catching a ball. Hurrying into the other compartment and slamming the door shut and locked, Lewis turned the music player on. "Come on! At least I could try playing it right here right NOW!"

The player turned on, but not before a slowly rotating loading bar came in. "We don't have time for this!"

Unfortunately, his voice attracted the attention of the huggers, and they proceeded to barrage against the glass pane and door. As the infected filled the unconscious body of Walter with joy, the Marshmallow Guy came to consciousness again. "Ugh why do I keep getting knocked-? What the-? You let them in, you treacherous fools! See! Look at what you-"

And those were his last sane words as he momentarily attracted the whole horde's attention. "Get off me you creepy smiling soulless-ah that tickles!"

Lewis struggled to stay hopeful, and optimistic (it was hard). After what seemed like millenniums to the liger, the music player finished loading. Lewis had dropped the speakers he was carrying somewhere on the way here, and so could not broadcast the song to the crowd loud enough to be heard through the glass. He browsed the player for the song (The Moonlight Sonata of Beethoven) but almost couldn't since he probably had tens of thousands of songs. After finding it, he surveyed around the room for a microphone. He found one, but it wouldn't work. To his horror he saw why it would not work: the power outlet was not connected, and it was in the other compartment.

The compartment full of the Joy horde.

Standing firmly and swallowing any traces of cowardice, he blankly looked at the huggers feasting on the marshmallow while his life flashed before his eyes.

He saw: His Lion father and Tigress mother in a faraway county; his first baby steps, then the first time he was able to run and bike; his first day at school; then his first friend; and his-then that was all that flashed for now (since his life was short, like twelve years long only). That, or he just wanted to get over with it.

Lewis sighed, caught himself and took a deep breath. "Ah well, who would have known that it would come to this..."

There was only two choices: either wait until the joy horder broke in, and feasted on his miserable soul; or plug the mike in and play the music, hoping that he would have enough time and strength left to accomplish this. Lewis would take his chances with the last one. Cracking his knuckles (which hurt for him), he then heaved his chest and stormed out of the compartment. The huggers feasting on the Marshmallow looked at him in delight.

"Okay, here I gooooo!"

He charged towards the mike's plug and power outlet, yelling. Unexpectedly, an infected person (Coach) smashed to where he was previously. He drifted to the outlet, cutting through the crowd of infected. Lewis dashed and plugged the mike's cord in, then rushed back to the music player in the other compartment. Unfortunately, he slipped and an infected Walter caught hold of him and hugged him.

"NOOO! Must…play…not so…flowers…YAHH!"

He tore himself free from the grip, but he knew it was too late. He could feel the joy wrapping around him, and could see delight. Instead of black, his vision was fading to rainbows and colorful lollipops and smiling flower-colored candy bunnies. He told himself "Don't give…up!"

He struggled and felt for the music player. Luckily for him, he felt it! Now just to press the button.

Then he became so filled with cheeriness he forgot what he was doing. "Why am I doing this?" he thought. "I mean I'm so happy now!" He saw rainbows, and knew he was in delight at the end of the tunnel. He was so weak from struggling that he just fell down on the music player and started hallucinating.

He thought of ponies, of unicorns and rainbows, in a land far way were mountains were chocolate and tree were gumdrops, where people were rainbows and rainbows were people and cookies were sugar canes and canes were dolls with kisses and smooches…he was crazy happy…and he just thought…laugh-out-loud

"Aha…ha…ha ha hahaHAHA!"

And so it was over. Lewis fell over…infected.

* * *

Fortunately he would live to be feel other emotions again. Elmore city would be restored, and everyone back to normal. Lewis didn't know it, but when he collapsed on the music player, he pressed the play button…played the song...and cured everyone in the studio (even him, he was just knocked unconscious). With some finding-out (notably with help from Walter), the now cured people got the studio working and was able to broadcast the music throughout the county.

After a day of super miserableness (a side-effect of the cure), everyone in Elmore was cured completely by next monday.

* * *

**Please post your reviews and comments, and thanks again for reading. This is Something logging out.**


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